The Next New Thing

Many of the applications and technologies that have evolved recently have been built upon some sort of platforms that were once previously used. This is the idea of convergence of old media into new media and it is prevalent with many innovations. Therefore, the next new thing will incorporate some of the available attributes of new media into becoming the next phenomenon. Just as social networking is a form on communication, the weather is a form of communication since we are often concerned about weather conditions for our daily lives. Consequently, since we rely on the weather forecast there can be an invention that will allow us to predict the weather by ourselves. There have definitely been a lot of weather apps and helpful forecasts by meteorologists but if everyone can get involved in understanding climatic patterns with a new model then we can be more thoughtful about the earth and preserve the environment. This new invention can basically make us experience the life of a meteorologist but at the same time add more precise weather predictions for a longer time period.

Our Class Wiki - So Far

Currently, as a finance student, I’m very interested in economics and how technology continues to reinvent business practices. That is why I have chosen to contribute to the Economics and Marketing pages on the class wikipedia pages. While I have not yet published my research, it focuses on the usage of new currency and marketing practices. In terms of currency and economics, I would like to focus on Bitcoins and how it is reinventing the business world. I would like to focus on the social and economic result of the new currency catching traction and attention. On the Marketing side I would like to focus on new services such as snapchat and discuss how companies are using new services to reach potential users.

P2P File Sharing

Today media has become all about the distribution of knowledge and resources. When a person looks to find information, all they need to do is turn to the internet and within minutes data will become accessible. Users love to share their resources and that has led to the rise of file sharing. File sharing is the act of distributing digital files such as documents, multimedia, etc. When people send one another songs or videos, they are contributing to the act of file sharing. Peer-to-peer file sharing or (P2P) is the same process however specifically focused on the idea of uploading/downloading files from servers. Users can search servers and download files from servers, such as BitTorrent. On BitTorrent any user can upload files onto the servers and allow individuals around the world access to those files. In the article “The BitTorrent Effect” Clive Thompson describes how the service affects people on a large scale, around the world. Thompson describes how people are pitching in on a collaborative project and coming together on his service.

Cite:

"The BitTorrent Effect ." Wired 13.01: The BitTorrent Effect. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Privacy & Confidentiality

As more and more new media technology are coming out to our generation, our privacy and confidentiality are getting less and less protected. Nowadays, people can check what are you doing 24/7 if they check your social media websites. If you put important information onto your computer, there's a chance that a hacker can grab all your information without you even knowing. Compared to the old days, the new media world is very dangerous concerning with privacy and confidentiality. Now, less and less people trust the government due to the exposed NSA government program. NSA can constantly hack into your private life without any consequences at all. So we are constantly getting monitored by the government or creepers/stalkers/hackers alike. It is harder now to avoid someone since they know where you are, compared to the past where you can just change directions. The whole point of this post is that with new media around, our information/private life is constantly being broadcast with or without your permission. So sometimes it's better if we live without new media technology concerning with privacy. 

Advice to Baruch College

If I was hired by Baruch college using new media technology to improve our school environment and system, I would implement few software system. I would try to implement a new system that's better than Blackboard where students can communicate among each other when they are not in class. This will lead to a better class participation and communication, unlike the current Blackboard where everybody have to check each other thread in other to give some feedback or comments. I will also implement a system where clubs and organizations can communicate with each other instead of just searching up their information and contact them. I would want them to be open as possible where they can network better and cosponsors more events together. Also, I want a system where the students can reach out to clubs and organizations if they aren't able to make it to their events, such as a discussion board for students and clubs.

Creativity and New Media

When it comes to creativity and new media, creating avatars, images that represents you in the virtual world comes to mind. There are different kinds of avatars from 2D to 3D, a lot of them can be used in the virtual world of games and social events to meet other people. Usually when creating avatars, options of different skin color, hair, clothes and accessories are given so you can mix and match until you get the avatar you like most. The basics are free but other items used to glam up your avatar will most likely cost money.

from DoppelMe and Avatar Face Maker

With the above 2 screenshots, you can see the simplicity of the avatar. They are plainly 2D but in different forms. These 2D avatars don’t move or associate themselves with other avatars.

from Style Me Girl app

Another different kind of avatar would be 3D. These avatars can move and walk around to “socialize” with other avatars. They act very much like humans and some are even able to talk.

Creativity

One of the most amazing features of new media is the way it fosters creativity. The expanded array of options and channels of communicating your personality that new media offers is seemingly never ending. From Instagram offering users the chance at editing the lighting, texture, and filter of their photographs to make them look almost professional quality, to websites like Vine which encourage the movie director in us all to come out and begin to edit, chop, and put together works of visual wonder. Another way new media can foster creativity is through websites like Twitter, through which companies can receive customer feedback directly and even utilize customer suggestions to help create new products or develop changes to optimize existing ones, making the world a better place for both consumers and suppliers. In a NY Times article that focuses on how companies use twitter, it states, "Economists have long thought that producers — the people making products and running companies — are naturally the ones coming up with new ideas, Professor von Hippel said. In fact, he said, consumers often come up with ideas for products, and companies wait on the sidelines to see if they have mass appeal" One of my favorite examples of how new media fosters creativity is the Design byME website introduced by Lego, where "fans can use Lego design software to create their own models. Lego then sells the designs, effectively offloading the design cost to fans." In my opinion, this idea is pure corporate strategy genius, offloading costs to the consumer, while at the same time obtaining new models and designs for free. Pretty creative!




Citation:

Miller, Claire Cain. "Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Oct. 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.